Old Layout
Having just moved to a Victorian house with a big open loft area my intention was to make as full as practical use of that space for Colston. Various events, including the birth of our daughter has put paid to the grandiose schemes detailed below, but Ive decided to leave the details here.I'll also post some photos of my original N Gauge layout from 1990, the only one to have been "scenicked" so far, and possibly various OO efforts from the 1980s.
Loft Layout
These were some of the features I hoped to include in the layout:- Modern City Centre with station (Faller kit)
- Fiddle/staging yard to be part of the layout rather than hidden
- Branch to docks area with coal/intermodal facilities
- Branch to MOD depot (possibly hidden)
- Smaller Park and Ride style station
- Branch to Canons’ Road (although the actual depot won’t be integrated in the main layout)
- Intermodal terminal
- Other sidings along the principle of the US “Team Track”
- A self contained Light Rail system utilising Japanese tram models.
- Peco Code 55 trackwork
- Medium radius points as a minimum
- 24” minimum radius on main lines
- Third Rail electrification of passenger lines
Loco depot
This was a shelf style layout – which fell victim to the changeround in room use (I lost the use of the 2nd spare room, when it became the only spareroom). The layout measured 20cm by 175cm. The track plan is very simple:
The whole layout is live to allow for DCC operation. The points are all operated by Peco point motors and push buttons mounted on the front fascia of the layout. Track is all Code 55.
The line to the real world was to disappear under a road bridge and a couple of blocks of flats. The rear side of the depot was to be separated from a road by a wall or security fence, whilst the “viewer’s” side would have been open, but with a number of part buildings to break up the edge.
The boards shown here are made from mdf screwed and glued onto two 2" x 1" longitudinal timbers. The ridges you can see at the edges are a result of my poor handiwork with my jigsaw - I guess a table saw would have been better. The track is glued straight to the board using PVA glue, I had intended to use cork underlay but this would have complicated laying the concrete paving around the tracks. The points are all operated by Peco solenoids from push buttons attached to the MDF front of the boards. Connections to the controller and between the boards are made using DIN sockets and plugs. The 08 is pottering around checking continuity - yes I did check it out using a meter first!
The main depot building is the ubiquitous Peco NB-80 kit, modified to have a more normal (to my eye) roof. I’d always wanted to have inspection pits, so here they are courtesy again of Peco. Refuelling stands will be added to the area concrete between the shed lines and the stabling line. At the moment all fuel for the Depot is delivered by rail, unloaded at the siding reached from the stabling line. Administration accommodation is provided in a Pikestuff kit. The horizontal fuel tanks are made from the plastic tubes of Staples own brand glue sticks (uncannily similar to Pritt Stick), the two vertical tanks are from the handle of an old broom, with tape to provide the appearance of seams. The tanks should have walkways…
Canon's Road is now fixed to the wall, and is wired for power and lighting. I've ballasted part of it using AMI Instant Roadbed, which seems to work pretty well.
